Life at 18 vs. now—what a journey. At 18, I was convinced The Cure’s lyrics, “Yesterday I got so old I felt like I could die,” spoke to me. It’s embarrassing to admit how much I related to that back in 1985. Everything felt so intense and so important. Cue the biggest eye roll of all time.

Fast forward to this week. I walked across town to the UPS store to return a pair of yoga pants. These leggings seemed designed by someone who misunderstood women’s anatomy. The seam felt sharp, almost like a reverse guillotine.

But the walk wasn’t just about bad yoga pants—I needed to stretch, get some steps in, and prevent my shrimp-shaped body from curling into a human claw. Naturally, I popped in my AirPods. Because every walk through crisp autumn leaves deserves a soundtrack that makes you feel all the emotions. Enter: The Cure.

That playlist inspired me to call my college roommate. She had time to talk because she was waiting for the insect exterminator to come switch out some traps. It hit me then—we’re officially old. I’m a grandma. She’s getting a hip replacement.

Even though we’re no longer angsty teens, we’re still us. Our moms no longer perm our hair, and our shoes haven’t stuck to the floor of McCabe’s in decades.

Our lives? Messy, wonderful, and far from perfect. But the best part? We don’t take ourselves as seriously as we did at 18. And no, perms won’t make a comeback anytime soon.

If you’ve ever had a lifelong friendship that’s stood the test of time, you’ll love reading about the enduring nature of those bonds in my post on Lifelong Friendships.

Tell me: What were YOU like at 18?